Here in Tampa Bay, we cheer for Mike Evans on Sundays. He’s a legend — and his career earnings of about $134M prove what elite talent is worth [8][9].

Now here’s the twist for parents: some AI engineers are getting athlete-level (or bigger) paychecks, too. Meta reportedly wooed Apple’s AI leader Ruoming Pang with a package over $200M to join its superintelligence team [1][2]. That’s not a typo. That’s the market telling us which skills matter next.

And it isn’t just one person. Multiple reports say Meta has dangled up to $300M over four years for top AI talent — huge packages that often mix salary, equity, and bonuses [5]. Even first-year totals north of $100M have been floated [5]. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Sam Altman said Meta has offered $100M signing bonuses to pull people from his team [3][4]. Whether every number is perfect or not, the direction is obvious: future-ready skills are being valued like championship players.

This isn’t fear-bait. It’s a reminder that the highest-paying roles of the 2030s probably don’t exist yet. Ten years ago, “reasoning-model engineer” wasn’t a job title. Today, folks working on those systems are fielding life-changing offers. Even routine senior bands at Meta show how valuable these skills are: the highest levels bring seven-figure annual compensation [5].

Want a wild example to bring it home? One rising researcher, Matt Deitke (age 24), reportedly agreed to a $250M / four-year deal after turning down an initial offer — only signing after meeting with Mark Zuckerberg [6][7]. That kind of money used to sound like NBA supermax territory; now it’s part of the AI talent race.

So what does this mean for families deciding how kids spend their time after school?

It means opportunity cost is real. Every hour goes somewhere: into a skill that compounds, or into something fun that may not open doors later. Kids should still play, build friendships, and try different things. But let’s also make space for activities that grow problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, and comfort with tech — the same mix that today’s top engineers use daily. Those habits stick.

And no, the future isn’t “AI takes every job.” That’s our negativity bias talking. New tools always create new roles — often better ones. The people shaping AI today aren’t replacing humans; they’re designing new ways for humans to work, learn, and create. Think about 2035: roles like AI safety lead for schools, robotics workflow designer for local businesses, or mixed-reality coach for medical training. We don’t have tidy names yet, but our kids could grow into them.

If you’re a professional parent, you already get how fast work changes. Your career probably shifted with new software, new markets, and new rules. Our kids will see even bigger shifts. The best gift we can give them is fluency with modern tools and the confidence to figure stuff out. That can start small and playful:

• Let them build a simple video game and learn loops and logic.
• Nudge them to 3D-print a part they designed, then tweak it when it fails.
• Encourage them to team up on a robotics challenge and explain their approach out loud.
• Rotate roles — builder, coder, tester, presenter — so they practice collaboration, not just solo wins.

Those aren’t random hobbies. They mirror how real AI and software teams work: test an idea, get feedback, improve it with data, explain your choices. You don’t need to chase trophies for it to count. What matters is time on task in areas that develop thinking skills and technical curiosity.

Back to the Evans comparison for a second. Pro athletes don’t wake up at 30 and suddenly become great; they stack small habits for years. The same is true here. Kids who tinker with code, circuits, sensors, and design build the mindset that turns unknown tech into “I can figure this out.” If they love it, awesome. If they don’t, they still gain problem-solving muscles that help in any field — finance, healthcare, law, design, you name it.

Also worth knowing: not every AI role is a unicorn contract. But the median keeps moving up for strong engineers, and there’s a whole ecosystem of good jobs around them — product leads, data folks, designers, QA, technical writers, operations. Future-ready skills make all of those easier to access [5].

So, parents — especially around Tampa Bay — while we gear up for football season and root for #13, let’s also set aside a few hours a week for our kids to build future-proof skills. There are friendly, local places where kids can learn to code, build robots, create games, and 3D-print their ideas — with coaches who make it fun and social. No heavy pressure; just hands-on projects that grow real abilities.

Because the real takeaway from those eye-popping AI offers isn’t the dollar signs. It’s this: preparation meets opportunity. If we help our kids prepare — curious minds, tech fluency, teamwork — opportunity will find them. Maybe it won’t be a $200M contract. But it could be a career they love… and one we couldn’t have imagined today.

 If you are curious to see what iCode offers, reach out any time or book a FREE trial class now.

References

[1] Investopedia. “Meta Poaches Apple AI Executive, Reports Say.” Investopedia, July 8, 2025. https://www.investopedia.com/meta-poaches-apple-ai-executive-reports-say-11768000

[2] Investopedia. “Meta Platforms Enticed Apple AI Executive With $200M Pay Package, Report Says.” Investopedia, July 10, 2025. https://www.investopedia.com/meta-platforms-enticed-apple-ai-executive-with-200m-pay-package-report-says-11769571

[3] Yahoo Finance. “OpenAI’s Sam Altman Says Meta Offered Employees $100 Million Signing Bonuses.” Yahoo Finance, June 18, 2025. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-sam-altman-says-meta-190518787.html

[4] Reuters. “Sam Altman says Meta offered $100 million bonuses to OpenAI employees.” Reuters, June 18, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/business/sam-altman-says-meta-offered-100-million-bonuses-openai-employees-2025-06-18/

[5] Wired. “Here’s What Mark Zuckerberg Is Offering Top AI Talent.” Wired, 2025. https://www.wired.com/story/mark-zuckerberg-ai-recruiting-spree-thinking-machines/

[6] Axios. “These AI Experts Are Getting Offered Boatloads of Cash by Zuckerberg.” Axios, August 6, 2025. https://www.axios.com/2025/08/06/meta-ai-talent-jobs-pay-openai-apple

[7] Wikipedia. “Matt Deitke.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Deitke

[8] Pro Football Network (Kennedy, Alex). “Mike Evans’ $41 Million Contract, Salary, and Net Worth: Examining How Much the Buccaneers WR Is Making.” Pro Football Network, January 26, 2025. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mike-evans-contract-salary-buccaneers/

[9] Spotrac. “Mike Evans | NFL Contracts & Salaries.” Spotrac. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/_/id/14416/mike-evans